The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell is back home after a 63-day mission cracking down on drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
The Campbell, which returned to Newport on Monday, played a key role in stopping the flow of illegal narcotics, working alongside the Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) to patrol known smuggling routes.
During the mission, the crew intercepted a major drug-smuggling operation involving six small boats. They seized approximately 8,061 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $91 million and detained two suspected traffickers.
In total, Campbell’s crew took custody of 49 suspected smugglers over the course of the deployment and provided care for two search-and-rescue survivors.
On Jan. 27, the crew offloaded the massive drug haul at Port Everglades, Fla., and transferred 26 suspected traffickers to authorities for federal prosecution. Between January 2024 and February 2025, Campbell has been responsible for the transfer of 87 suspected smugglers as part of 24 drug interdictions across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
During the patrol, Campbell partnered with several Coast Guard assets, including Tactical Law Enforcement Team – South and cutters Waesche, James, and Stone, working together with international and interagency teams to track and stop illicit trafficking.
Before returning to Newport, the crew spent three days at sea conducting helicopter landing drills with Coast Guard aircrews from Jacksonville, Fla. They also trained nearly 60 personnel from other cutters in shipboard helicopter operations to improve mission readiness across the fleet.
“I am incredibly proud of Campbell’s crew,” said Cmdr. Jonathan Harris, the ship’s commanding officer. “We overcame many obstacles to stand vigilant watches away from our loved ones during the holiday season and worked tirelessly to prevent transnational criminal organizations from harming our communities by seizing tons of narcotics that will no longer cross our maritime borders.”
Campbell, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter, plays a vital role in counter-drug and migrant interdiction efforts, as well as search and rescue operations across the Western Hemisphere.
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